WWF-PH National Youth Council teams up with Robi Domingo for a conversation on wildlife conservation
August 2020
To further encourage discourse on environmental conservation and active participation from the youth sector, another Conservation Conversation webisode was streamed via Facebook Live last August 28, 2020, featuring the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines National Youth Council (NYC), WWF-PH Project Manager for Western Mindoro Luis Caraan, and newest WWF-PH National Youth Ambassador Robi Domingo.
The webisode, which aimed to raise funds for the displaced Tamaraw Guardians of Mindoro, opened with NYC member Gab Mejia sharing his experiences in the Mt. Iglit-Baco Protected Area, as well as the importance of supporting Tamaraw conservation efforts and the people behind it.
“It’s simple, we’re Filipino---they’re our pride. If we don’t care for what we have and if we don’t value these species and animals, how [then] could you care for your own country? It’s really about empathy and understanding and caring about these creatures and being aware about the Tamaraws [and] the other animals we have, other flora and fauna in the Philippines.” says Mejia.
Newest WWF-PH National Youth Ambassador Robi Domingo along with NYC Member Gab Mejia and WWF-PH Project Manager for Western Mindoro Luis Caraan share stories about their experiences working with the tamaraw guardians / Screenshot © WWF-Philippines
Caraan explained WWF-PH’s involvement in the country’s Tamaraw conservation efforts, highlighting the importance of the organization’s scientific approach as well as involving the local community during the entire planning process. He also emphasized the importance of being united for the cause to help the project succeed. “Iyong tamaraw conservation, ay hindi lang work ng iisang institusyon---may bahagi ang government, ang civil societies, at NGOs sa ating pagtutulungan kasi lahat tayo ay may ino-offer sa table, may specialty. (Tamaraw conservation is not just the work of one institution-- the government, civil societies, and NGOs play important roles because all of us offer something to the table. We have our own specialties)”, says Caraan.
NYC members Deign Soriano, Nikki Huang, and Romina Lim joined the second segment of the program, where they discussed why the conservation of Philippine wildlife is a shared responsibility, regardless if one lives near them or not.
Domingo and the rest of WWF-PH NYC encourage Filipinos to care for the ecosystem by sharing how environmental conservation impacts the quality of human life /Screenshot © WWF-Philippines
“Understanding the extreme connectivity between the plants and animals that we share our lives with even if we’re in these very urban areas… we are pretty removed from nature but that doesn’t mean that we exist separately from it.”, says Huang.
Soriano, on the other hand, shared how an encounter with whale sharks in WWF-PH’s partner community site in Donsol, Sorsogon helped him realize how connected everything is. “You realize that you’re only part of a very huge system at isa ka lang maliit na parte doon (and you’re just a small portion of it), but you have an integral role in taking care of other portions of the ecosystem.”
Drawing from interconnectivity, Domingo capped off the show by highlighting how doing one’s part in saving the environment can help humanity in the long run. “Everything is so connected, and I firmly believe in the ripple effect. When we do something for our environment, may mga repercussions yan (there are repercussions). Let’s be adults and think about the bigger picture, and that’s why we are doing these conservation efforts in order to for the future generations to appreciate and to be a part of what is happening right now”, says Domingo. “We don’t want future generations to say ‘Ay, ito nalang ang tira’ (Oh, this is just what’s left). We want to be more sustainable, and that’s why we’re having these conversations and maganda na [pinag] uusapan natin yan para maging aware ang lahat ng tao (and it’s good that we are talking about it so more people can be aware of it).”
Established in 2015, the WWF-PH National Youth Council aims to encourage active participation from the youth sector in environmental conservation by bridging sustainability to young Filipinos, as well as to represent the youth by providing relevant insights on environmental concerns and participation in related events and projects across the country.
WWF-Philippines is set to present more Conservation Conversation webisodes in the days to come. Stay tuned and follow WWF-Philippines’ official social media pages for updates and to find out how the youth can help #ChangeTheEnding for the environment.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Isobel Resurreccion
National Youth Council Coordinator
kfiresurreccion@gmail.com
For media arrangements, please contact:
Ms. Pam Luber
Integrated Communications Manager
pluber@wwf.org.ph
Ms. Chezka Guevarra
Public Relations, Media, and Events Assistant Manager
cguevarra@wwf.org.ph
